“Winning Without Mercy”: Hegseth Details Decimation of Iranian Navy at CENTCOM (Video)

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth visited U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) headquarters at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa, Florida, this afternoon, March 5, 2026. Arriving fresh from an inaugural Counter Cartel Conference at SOUTHCOM, Hegseth met with Admiral Brad Cooper, Commander of CENTCOM, to receive a high-level operational briefing on the progress of Operation Epic Fury. The briefing, which comes five days into the largest U.S. air and sea campaign in decades, painted a picture of a “decimated” Iranian military and an American force that is “just getting started.”

A Campaign of “Lethal Precision”

The centerpiece of this afternoon’s briefing was the dramatic announcement of the destruction of the Iranian Navy. Hegseth confirmed that the Iranian frigate Dena and the prized ship Soleimani have been sent to the bottom of the sea. In a historic first since 1945, Hegseth revealed that a U.S. Navy submarine used a torpedo to sink an Iranian warship in the Indian Ocean—an event he described as a “quiet death” for a vessel that believed it was safe in international waters.

“The Iranian Navy rests at the bottom of the Persian Gulf,” Hegseth stated during the update. “Combat ineffective, decimated, destroyed—pick your adjective.”

Key Metrics from Operation Epic Fury

According to data provided by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine, the five-day campaign has achieved the following:

• 86% drop in Iranian ballistic missile launches since the start of hostilities.
• 73% decrease in Iranian one-way attack drone (OWA) launches.
• Destruction of 20+ naval vessels and at least one Iranian submarine.
• Complete Air Superiority: Hegseth noted that the U.S. has transitioned from using “exquisite standoff munitions” to dropping heavy GPS and laser-guided gravity bombs (500 to 2,000 lbs) now that Iranian air defenses have been “neutralized.”

Strategy: No “Nation-Building”

Hegseth was firm in distinguishing this conflict from previous Middle Eastern engagements. He emphasized that the Trump administration has no interest in “nation-building quagmires” or “democracy-building exercises.” Instead, the mission is “laser-focused” on three pillars:

• Eliminating ballistic missile systems.
• Destroying the Iranian Navy.
• Ensuring Iran never obtains nuclear weapons.

“We are not defenders anymore; we are warriors,” Hegseth told reporters, reiterating that the rules of engagement have been unshackled to allow for “maximum lethality.”

Regional Escalation and Humanitarian Concerns

While the briefing focused on military successes, the reality on the ground remains volatile. Reports indicate that the conflict has “ricocheted” across the region. Azerbaijani officials lodged a strong protest today after two Iranian drones struck their territory, damaging an airport terminal and a school.

Domestically, Hegseth and General Caine addressed a strike on an Iranian girls’ school that reportedly killed 175 people. While declining to take direct responsibility, Hegseth stated the Pentagon is investigating but maintained that the U.S. “never targets civilian targets,” instead blaming the Iranian regime for embedding military assets within civilian infrastructure.

Looking Ahead

The Secretary concluded his visit by signaling that more American assets—including additional bombers and fighters—are arriving in the region today. He issued a final warning to the Iranian leadership, stating that they are “toast” and that the American military possesses a “nearly unlimited stockpile” of precision munitions to sustain the fight for as long as necessary.

Sources and Links

• U.S. Central Command: Secretary of War to Visit CENTCOM
• U.S. Department of War: Transcript of Hegseth & Caine Briefing
• CBS News: Hegseth says U.S. “just getting started” in Iran war
• Just Security: Early Edition March 5, 2026
• SOF News: Iran Weekly Update – March 6, 2026